1993
The year 1993 (MCMXCIII) is the 12th year of the A Real American Hero brand. Overview Once again the year started early, with the first series of carded figures on store shelves well before Christmas 1992. In a year's time, there would be over 100 new figures, 3/4 of which were repaints or new versions of older figures. This was the largest release of Joe toys ever. By this point, bright colors, giant working weapons, and macho-sounding filecards were the order of the day, and much of the G.I. Joe line had moved beyond conventional warfare. Among the innovations of 1993 were collector's cards with live-action photos, and mail-in offers that asked for proofs of purchase (UPC symbols) rather than Flag Points. Instead of carrying their own unique weapons, most figures came with four or five repaints of previously issued accessories, and backpacks became quite rare. Figures were generally numbered this year within their respective teams (e.g., Bazooka was # 1, Cross-Country was # 2, etc.). Almost all of the previous year's figures were partially or completely repainted as part of Battle Corps, the new name for Joes not members of any special team. The Ninja Force continued to expand its team, while the Eco-Warriors and D.E.F. troops were inserted into the main Battle Corps line, apparently as a last-minute decision. A new concept was the Mega-Marines, who came with moldable Bio-Armor (similar to Play-Doh), and whose enemies included Mega-Monsters, mutant Cobras who no longer bore any resemblance to humans. Battles in space went full-scale with the Star Brigade, which just happened to include some of the most important Joe and Cobra leaders. Some of these were larger, Armor-Tech figures which were less articulated but closer to the size of other popular toy lines. One of the most controversial moves by Hasbro came this year, when Kirk Bozigian noted his son's and nephews' enthusiasm for the video game Street Fighter and the similarity of its characters to G.I. Joe. Hasbro licensed two lines of figures under the title "Capcom Street Fighter II." The first was a group of 12" figures for the Hall of Fame line, which was growing by leaps and bounds; the second consisted of 3 3/4" figures and vehicles, primarily made from existing Joe and Cobra molds. There was also a Dino-Hunter Playset to capitalize on the success of that year's Jurassic Park movie. Mail-in-exclusive repaints were also numerous this year, and they included a personalized Cobra figure similar to the Steel Brigade trooper released six years earlier. The move away from a strictly military story was also evident in the ninja-dominated plotline of the comics, with half the year devoted to the only-superficially-apparent defection of Scarlett to Cobra, which turned out to be only a buildup to another crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers to prop up the struggling TF Generation 2 comics and toys. While traditional fans may criticize this year's releases for the non-military look and the utter weirdness of some of the new lines and characters, 1993's G.I. Joe bore all the marks of a strong, successful toy line. The aggressive size of the toy line and the manifest originality of this year's concepts, balance out the various weaknesses (especially when compared with the attempt to save the struggling Transformers line with "Generation 2"). The new Joes were indeed appealing to the children of the early 1990s, who were enamored with the colorful, effects-laden toys in much the same way an earlier generation had been drawn to Joe's realism and articulation. The fact that all the trends of 1993 continued into the next year suggests that, at least from a marketing standpoint, Hasbro was doing "the right thing" with its G.I. Joe toy line. Toys Carded figures Non-Carded figures Equipment Other *Collector's Kit Mailaway offers *'Menace in the Wilderness' :Included with vehicles packaged in 1993 and 1994. Joe forces from across the world have been called together to stop Cobra from disrupting global telecommunications. Introduced the International Action Force and other new exclusives, including the Collector's Kit. ::Figures Available: 1993 Deep Six, 1993/II Gen. Hawk, 1993 Big Bear, 1993 Big Ben, 1993 Budo, 1993 Spirit; 1984 Cobra Commander (with Collector's Kit), 1992 Ninja Viper. ::Equipment Available: Killer W.H.A.L.E., Collector's Kit (with 1984 Cobra Commander); W.O.L.F. *'Terrifying Lasers of Destruction' :Included with vehicles packaged in 1993 and 1994. Cobra has placed laser weapons at strategic locations to destroy government buildings. Special Joe teams are assembled to combat the threat, including the Arctic Commandos and the Rapid Deployment Force. ::Figures Available: 1985 Quick Kick, 1987 Fast-Draw, 1987 Jinx, 1989 Repeater, 1989 Shockwave, 1993 Dee-Jay, 1993 Stalker, 1993 Sub-Zero, 1993 Major Altitude; 1984 Cobra Commander (with Collector's Kit), 1986 Serpentor (with Air Chariot), 1993 Interrogator, 1993 Name Your Own Cobra, 1993 Snow Serpent. ::Equipment Available: Pocket Patrol Pack (black variant), Swampmasher, Collector's Kit; Air Chariot (with Serpentor), Jet Pack, Sea Ray, Battle Barge. Comicbooks Issues 132 - 143 of the Marvel Comics series came out this year. :See detailed information here. Animation No animation was produced this year. Category:Lists Category:Generation 1 Category:A Real American Hero Category:Ninja Force Category:Mega Marines Category:Mega Monsters Category:Star Brigade